Hall Gets Healthy On Gainesville, Leads Jones, 73-58

Morris Hall, battling the flu, scored 18 points Tuesday night to lead host Orlando Jones High to a 73-58 victory over Gainesville in a Class AAA, Region 3 semifinal game before 700 fans.

Eighth-ranked Jones (27-5) will play host to Kissimmee Osceola, which it has beaten three times this season, Thursday night at 8.

''Hall came to me this morning and told me he was sick,'' Jones Coach Willie Jones said. ''I thought it was a bad joke. Then, his mother came to pick him up. But he pulled it together when we needed it.''

Jones burst to a 14-0 lead by using a tenacious full-court press. The Tigers' defense seemed to be everywhere, forcing mistakes and intimidating Gainesville out of its slowdown strategy. Jones led, 24-7, at the end of the first quarter.

Corey Walker and Chris Hicks scored 10 points apiece in the first half to power Jones to a 36-16 halftime lead. Hicks and Walker finished with 17 and 14 points, respectively.